Artistic Creativity: 9 Genius Tips for Getting Out of a Creative Rut

Periods of creative dormancy are inevitable; it’s what you do to get out of them that really matters. We asked nine bead-weaving designers how they tap into their creativity and how they get their groove back when they come up short. Here’s what they said:

• When I get frustrated because something isn’t coming out the way I envision it, I switch to a different medium than the one I’m working in, take my dogs for a walk, or eat a lot of cookies. When I’m really stymied, I clean my workstation. —T. Alyx Alyxander

• I love to go to the beach, watch the sunset, and hear the voices of nature. This is how I tap into my creativity. When I feel that I’m in a rut, I start a few new projects simultaneously.
  —Svetlana Chernitsky

• To tap into my creativity, I just go to my mom’s bead shop. With every new delivery we receive, I find inspiration in the boxes of new bead shapes, new colors, fantastic findings, and more! So travel to your local bead shop, where creativity and rut busters are stocked weekly!
  —Stephanie Marie Goff

• I pull photos from magazines, jewelry books, and other jewelry artists for ideas. I keep my inspiration photos in binders or electronic folders: “Ideas,” “Colors,” “Things to try next,” etc. I have so many of these photos that I don’t think I’ll ever get through them all in my lifetime.
  —Tina Hauer

• I have an extensive reference library. My favorite book subjects for inspiration are historical period jewelry, auction catalogs, and architecture and gardening. I can also spend endless hours researching on Pinterest, following one link to the next. I collect these images and conceptualize designs, often spending more time dreaming than beading. Usually I work from rough sketches, but the beads tend to have a voice and mind of their own. —Lisa Kan

• I get inspiration mostly when I lie down and close my eyes. Then I have to get up and start creating, of course. Sometimes I don’t have to do anything, and inspiration comes on its own—especially when I’m not at home. When this happens, I run home to bead! When I’m in a rut, I read books and try to avoid beads. —Evelína Palmontová

• When I want to tap into my creativity, I rest. My most creative pieces have come to me in my dreams—no kidding! Then I get up and make those dreams a reality. When I get into a creativity rut, I just leave the beads alone and rest. —Sonia Corbin-Davis

• My favorite way to inspire creativity is to go to a museum. Looking at paintings and sculptures from different time periods can spark ideas for patterns, colorways, and designs. Art history books and magazines are a fun, convenient way to motivate the thought process.
  —Laina Goodman

• I see design and beauty everywhere—in nature, architecture, and everyday life. My mind never stops. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea! I call them my “dream designs.” If I get into a rut, I switch to another creative activity—and lo and behold, the wheels start turning again. —Anna Raymond

Find all these projects in Beadwork, February/March 2015, and subscribe so you never miss out!